Impact of a Psychosocial Intervention on Social Interactions between People with Dementia: An Observational Study in a Nursing Home

Social activities contribute to social engagement of people with dementia in nursing homes. An observational study was conducted to examine how a multicomponent psychosocial intervention could impact social interactions of people with dementia living in a nursing home. Thirty-six people with moderate to moderately severe dementia received a five-week multicomponent psychosocial intervention. The length of interactions was measured during eight minutes before and after each workshop. Codes, categories and themes of interaction were specified with a content analysis. The mean length of interaction significantly increased after the intervention by 67% between residents (p = .027) and by 151% with care staff (p = .023). Seventeen codes of interaction were observed. Four categories of interactions were identified: memories, feeling about others and self-expression, life in the nursing home, and factual interactions. These categories have been grouped into two themes: small talk (uninvolved conversations) and substantive talk (involved conversations). Substantive talk increased significantly after the intervention (p = .002). Our multicomponent psychosocial intervention seemed to have an impact on social interactions of people with dementia. They were able to speak about several topics and in a substantive way. This kind of intervention promotes social interactions and strengthens social health.